Savory Vegan Souffle with Herbs
Well, first things firsts, I’ve never had a soufflé- so honestly I have no idea if this is in fact similar to a soufflé, but it sure makes me think of one. So this is my savory vegan souffle! It’s light, fluffy, and eggy, with fresh herbs, scallions, and garlic mixed in. It’s delightful, and could easily be customized to include ingredients you have around the house like vegan cheese or mushrooms. Cooking doesn’t have to be boring, and this is one of the dishes I really enjoy making. It’s fun, quick, and delicious.
Skip the Post, Click for a Print-Friendly Recipe
Hidden in the Back of the Pantry
The other day I played a fun game- my boyfriend and I went through our pantry and pulled out anything I we had a somewhat large quantity of and displayed it on the counter. Out came bags of lentils and beans, cans of coconut milk, tapioca pearls, teff flour, quinoa flour and other random odds and ends. Mostly things I had bought for a specific recipe and never used again. Out of the jumbled pile I picked two items- chickpea flour and glutinous rice flour. I had the sneaking suspicion I could use them to make a scrambled egg alternative, but after placing the mixture I made up on the heat, I knew I was wrong. The direct heat of the skillet clumped the “egg”, leaving it half cooked and gummy. Yuck. But I’ve been doing a lot of steaming lately, so I decided to give this gentler cooking method a try, and I’m glad I did. I didn’t get a scrambled egg, but I did get something that reminds me of a savory vegan soufflé!
Looking for Good Pantry Recipes? Try one of these!
- Spring Garlic Mustard Ramen Noodles
- Spicy Garlic Roasted Chickpeas Snack
- Roasted Black Bean Tofu-A High Vegan Protein Dish
- Roasted Red Pepper Vegan Paella
- 10-Minute Aquafaba Vegan Whipped Cream
- Flavor-Bomb Vegan Snacking Hominy Recipe
About the Ingredients:
Because these vegan soufflés were made with “pull from the back of the pantry” method, some of these ingredients might not be ones you’re used to. The main ingredient in this dish is chickpea flour. Made from dried, ground chickpeas, is often found in falafel and pakoras. It is high in protein, and has found a place as an ingredient in eggy vegan dishes- in the past I’ve used it for my mini vegan frittatas! Another unusual ingredient is black salt, or kala namak. This is the real secret to making an eggy dish taste like egg. This (confusingly) pink colored salt contains high levels of sulfur, and when added to food it mimics the flavors of an egg- I can’t smell it without thinking back to eating hard boiled eggs! The final ingredient that might throw you for a loop is glutinous rice flour. It also goes by the name sweet rice flour, but it’s not the same as regular old rice flour. Despite it’s name, glutinous rice flour is in fact still gluten free, but it does still have a strong, sticky quality. We used it to help the soufflés hold onto the air and stay fluffy!
Making Savory Vegan Soufflés
This vegan souffles aren’t cooked in the oven, like your traditional soufflé, and they don’t puff up quite as high as the classic version. Instead they’re soft and steamed, with a moist and delicate crumb. Making them is so simple- just whisk together the dry ingredients, add the wet and combine. It will be super fluffy at this stage- next fold in anything you’re planning on adding. It might deflate at this point, but don’t worry, it will puff up again when cooked. Place the mixture in pre-greased containers, and place in a steamer. A ceramic bowl can work nicely here if you don’t own ramekins. Steam for 15 minutes, and you’re done!
Savory Vegan Souffle with Herbs
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp. glutenous rice flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4-½ tsp. black salt (kala namak)
- ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 finely chopped scallion
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Fit a pot with a steamer, fill with water, and turn on to boil. Grease two small ramekins (mine were 8 oz. ramekins, but you could use a little smaller or larger, or even one much larger one) and set aside.
- Mix the chickpea flour, glutinous rice flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, black salt and turmeric, whisking until there are no lumps. Add the olive oil and water, and stir until incorporated. Fold in the remaining ingredients- feel free to play with these and try different things like vegan cheese, onions, mushrooms, or whatever else you have lying around.
- Pour the batter into the greased ramekins, and place in the steamer one it has come to a boil. Steam for 15-20 minutes, remove, and serve warm.
Click for a Print-Friendly Recipe
Like Savory Vegan Souffle? Pin it!
